Wire-fence stretcher.



A. KENWORTHY.

WIRE FENCE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION men JUNE 16, 1915.

Pamnted D00. 26, 1916.

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warm) ST TE T nro n ALLEN KENWORTHY, enchant-1AM, owa.

WIRE-FENCE STRETCT-IER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pate ted Dec; 26, 1916.

Application filed June 16, 1915. Serial No. 34,453. i 1

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ALLEN KENWORTHY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Earlhain, in the county of Madison and to provide improvedapparatus of this kind which is cheap and simple, is light and portable,and which may be quickly arranged for use and without the employment ofguy ropes or wires or other appliances and which is adapted to stretchthe wire far enough beyond the end post to. allow the wire to be readilyfastened without the aid of a pinch bar or other like tool. V

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangementof devices hereinafter described and claimed.

The accompanying drawing is a perspective view of a wire fencestretcherconstructed in accordance with my invention, showing the samearranged for use.

For the purposes of this specification I show an end post at 1, anintermediate post at 2, an end post brace at 3 and I also show fencewires 4 engaged between the members of a draw bar 5, said members beingclamped on opposite sides of the wires by slotted keepers 6 and'wedgesWithin the scope of my invention the draw bar may be of any suitableconstruction.

The fence stretcher has a vertical frame8 which comprises a pair ofspaced members 9 each of which has an offset portion 10. Upper and lowerthrust arms 1112 are provided which have their outer ends arrangedbetween the upper and lower ends of the members 9 and secured as bymeans of suitable bolts 13. The inner ends of the thrust arms are turnedhorizontally as at 14 and adapted to bearagainst the outer side of theend post to arrange the frame of thewire stretcher in line with thefence and hold the members 9 beyond the end post. Preferably the innerends 14 of the thrust arms are notched and provided with engaging claws15.

A shaft 16 is mounted in bearings in the offset portions of the members9 and is provided with a drum 1? and aspur gear 18.

This gear is engaged by a pinion 19 on a shaftQZO which also has itsbearings in the members Q and is provided with a detachable crank 21.

A stretcher chain 22 is attached to the drum and also to a block 23. Apair of chains 2e connect the block to the ends of the draw bar and eachof said chains 2% is here shown as provided with a turn buckle 25.

It will be understood that by turning the crank shaft in the requireddirection the rotationof the drum causes the latter to draw on thechains and the draw bar and to stretch the fence wires as desired Owingto the distance the frame 9 is held from the end post by the thrust armsthe draw bar can be pulled beyond the outer side of the end post andenable the wires to be fastened without the employment of a pinch bar orother like tool.

To prevent the frame of the stretcher from being drawn to one side bythe stress on the chains and fence wires I provide a brace 26 which isarranged substantially at right angles to the thrust arms and is hereshown as substantially V-shaped, having upper and lower arms 2728 andhaving a saddle or guide notch 29 in its apex. The inner ends of thearms 27-28 are respectively bolted to the inner end of the thrust arm asat 3031. The brace may be ar ranged on either side of the thrust arms asmaybe required and should extend from the side of the post opposite thaton which the wires are to be placed. A chain 32 is engaged with thenotch 29 and has one end attached to the frame 8 as at 33, the other endof the chain being attached as at at to one of the intermediate posts:2.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred form of myinvention, I would have. it understood that changes may be made in theform, proportion'and construction of the several parts without departingfrom the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appendedclaim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim A wire stretcher of theclass described including a pair of vertical members each having asubstantially U-shaped offset portion near its upper end, the web of theU-shaped portion being parallel with the vertical member forming ahousing, upper andlower thrust arms secured to the upper and lower endsof the vertical members and extending horizontally therefrom, their freeends being adapted to be secured to a sup- 5 porting post, a drumjournaled within said U-shaped portions, means by which said drum may berotated, a substantially V- shaped brace rod secured at its ends to thefree ends of the thrust arms and extending 10 at right angles therefrom,and a supporting chain connected at one end to a post and slidablethrough the apex of the brace and having its opposite end connected tothe frame.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 15 in presence of twowitnesses. I ALLEN KENVVORTHY.

W'itnesses:

WALLACE G. JACKSON, NELLIE M. KERR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). C.

